CYPHER/CAT A
CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY COMMONWEALTH OFFICE TO HONG KONG
TELNO 323
23 FEBRUARY, 1968 (HWB AND F)
314
CONFIDENTIAL.
ADDRESSED TO HONG KONG TELEGRAM NO 323 OF 23/2 REPEATED FOR INFORMATION TO PEKING.
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YOUR TELEGRAM NO 212 AND PEKING TELEGRAM NO 133: PRISON VISITS.
I THINK THAT THESE HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS PROVIDE A POSSIBLE WAY FORWARD IN TRYING TO SECURE ACCESS TO GREY AND THAT WE SHOULD MAKE FULL USE OF THEM.
2.
I UNDERSTAND AND SHARE YOUR CONCERN LEST N C NA SHOULD ESTABLISH ITSELF IN A QUASI-CONSULAR ROLE WITH A RIGHT OF ACCESS TO BROAD CATEGORIES OF PRISONERS OF CHINESE RACE, BUT I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO PLAY OUR HAND AND WORD OUR APPROACHES TO THE CHINESE IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE CONCEDE THE MINIMUM ON THIS FRONT. THE SUGGESTION IN PARAGRAPH 3(C) OF PEKING TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE SEEMS A GOOD WAY OF DOING THIS.
3.
IDEALLY, I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED TO GRANT ACCESS TO QUOTE PATRIOTIC JOURNALISTS UNQUOTE, ONLY BY THEIR EMPLOYERS: BUT, AS PEKING HAVE POINTED OUT, WE RISK DESTROYING THE WHOLE BARGAIN BY INSISTING ON THIS. I AM GRATEFUL THEREFORE THAT YOU ARE PREPARED TO INCLUDE NCNA IN SUCH VISITS IN SOME FORM. I THINK THAT WE MUST BE PREPARED TO COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS BY TELLING THE CHINESE THAT VISITS TO QUOTE PATRIOTIC JOURNALISTS UNQUOTE WILL BE ALLOWED BY THEIR EMPLOYERS ACCOMPANIED BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF NCNA AND, IN ADDITION, THAT VISITS BY NCNA ALONE WILL BE ALLOWED IF THE EMPLOYER IS UNAVAILABLE (ALTHOUGH WE WOULD HOPE THAT THIS LAST SITUATION WILL NOT ARISE).
4.
I AGREE WITH ALL THE CONDITIONS SUGGESTED IN THE LATTER PART OF PARAGRAPH 5 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE, ALTHOUGH I THINK IT WOULD BE WISER NOT TO INSIST ON A TIME LIMIT SO SHORT AS 15
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